There’s no better way to ring in the New Year than watching fireworks shoot off the Space Needle. You can see the iconic landmark all over the city, but some spots are much better than others. Here’s our list of the best places to watch New Year’s Eve fireworks in Seattle. Best Places to Watch New Year’s Eve Fireworks in Seattle Seattle Center There’s no better place to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Seattle than the home of the Space Needle itself. You have great views of the Space Needle all over Seattle Center, and the city also shuts down the streets in front of the Space Needle before midnight. So…grab a drink in Belltown, stroll to Seattle Center, and enjoy the fireworks show. If you don’t mind spending money, you can check out the New Year’s Eve celebration at Chihuly Garden and Glass. Families can also explore Seattle Center Winterfest. NOTE: The featured video for this post was captured across the street from the Space Needle at KOMO Plaza. Kerry...

What do a roaring lion, diving penguin, and flying bald eagle have in common? You can find them all (and many more) as holiday light displays at Woodland Park Zoo WildLights. With more than 600,000 energy-efficient LED lights, Woodland Park Zoo WildLights is a great way to brighten the holiday season. And it’s different from anything else you’ll find in Seattle. The animal-themed displays include a family of gorillas (holding a banana, of course), a bear trying to catch leaping salmon in a river, and elephants, a hippopotamus, and giraffes gathering around a watering hole (with sounds of Africa echoing around you). Listen | Woodland Park Zoo WildLights Holidays lights also line the paths at Woodland Park Zoo WildLights, recreating wild places and creating a real winter wonderland to walk through. On top of the holiday lights, Woodland Park Zoo WildLights also features pictures with Santa, fake snowball fights in the Snowmazium, carolers, and real reindeer. Not to mention, the nocturnal exhibit is open for viewing. That means you can...

The KEXP Gathering Space offers awesome live music and incredible coffee in the heart of Seattle. Click here to find upcoming live performances at the KEXP Gathering Space. There’s nothing like spending a Monday afternoon with ‘The Screaming Eagle of Soul’ @Charles_Bradley! Thanks, @KEXP! pic.twitter.com/fPSMNR9z7X — Tim Lewis (@LewisSports) May 23, 2016 You can find the KEXP Gathering Space at the KEXP studios at 472 1st Ave N (map). In other words, near the Seattle Center. It’s an intimate space for a live concert, allowing around 380 people. The shows are FREE, open to the public, and welcome all ages and even pets. I have seen a few live performances at the KEXP Gathering Space, including Charles Bradley and Shovels & Rope. It’s not a full show, but the performers still play four or five songs. That means the acts last about 20-25 minutes. On top of live music, the KEXP Gathering Space also includes our favorite coffee shop in Seattle: La Marzocco. Every month, La Marzocco features a...

If you didn’t do too much partying on New Year’s Eve (or even if you did), here’s an awesome idea for you: watch the New Year’s Day sunrise in Seattle from Kerry Park. Tove and I brought in the New Year with the annual fireworks show at the Space Needle, and then we decided to watch the New Year’s Day sunrise in Seattle a few hours later. It was an incredible way to jump-start a brand new year! Mother Nature definitely needs to cooperate for this to work. Although the whole ” it rains all the time” thing is exaggerated, it’s also not always perfectly clear on New Year’s Day in Seattle. Keep your eyes on the forecast. If it’s clear; the New Year’s Day sunrise in Seattle is breathtaking (especially from Kerry Park). When Tove and I went to Kerry Park on New Year’s Day 2015, sunrise was scheduled for 7:57am. That obviously changes by year, but that should at least give you a time frame. We arrived...

Who doesn’t love happy hour? The folks at Seattle Center sure do. On the third Thursday of every month, Seattle Center hosts the Best Damn Happy Hour in Seattle. While many places serve specialty cocktails, cold brews, fine wine and tasty food during happy hour, that’s just the beginning at Seattle Center. It truly is pretty damn good! Before I give you the finer details on the Best Damn Happy Hour in Seattle, here is a quick overview: When: Third Thursday of the month Time: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Where: Seattle Center Armory Cost: No cover Who: Anyone 21+ (ID is required) When you walk into the Armory, you’ll notice the middle of the building fenced off. You show your ID, get a wrist band and enter that fenced off area– which is where the Best Damn Happy Hour in Seattle is happening (think of it as a beer garden). While you are allowed to go in and out of the area as you please, you aren’t allowed...

On March 20th, spring officially starts in the Northwest (and everywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere for that matter). You’ll see it on your calendar, you’ll hear it on the news, and you’ll read about it on the internet. But to some in our area, the official start of spring doesn’t happen until April 1st. That’s when the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival begins in Mt. Vernon. For more than 30 years, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has served as an annual rite of spring in Western Washington. It runs from April 1st to April 30th every year. There are always flowers to enjoy throughout the month, but Mother Nature decides when the tulips are in full bloom. That obviously means the peak time to visit changes from year-to-year. To find out how the fields are currently looking, check out this handy Skagit Valley Tulip Fesitval bloom map. Tulips are obviously the highlight of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, but there are fields full of daffodils and irises to enjoy...